...I'm so excited! Hopefully, Jones has some striking and can hang with Shogun and Shogun has some grappling so he can hang with Jones. Jones could take him down and dominate in a round. Shogun could wrap it up with 1 single well placed strike. It could be a 5 round war. I can't wait. Jones looks amped and Shogun seems disrespected. FIGHT NIGHT! Oops, I have wet myself!!!
Prediction? Haven't seen one from you yet. I'm already wet, and will be even wetter if Shogun pulls off a come from behind submission. Doubt it.. Bones Jones, round 4, TKO.
As for the striking Achillies while I dont think Bones is on Shogun's level or atleast he hasnt shown anything in his fights to make me believe he can strike with Shogun one thing that is in his favor is that crazy reach. Go back and watch Shogun's fight with Cyrille Dibate and you will see how a tall, rangy fighter with quick hands can fustrate Shogun Rua. Difference here is Shogun wont go to plan B and take Bones down easily like he did Dibate.
Really wouldn't be surprised if Shogun tried to take Jones down early. He has stated that Jones' weakness may be his BJJ from the bottom, and when he said that, I feel that he may have revealed his gameplan a little bit. However, will he be able to take Jones down? Much better wrestlers than Shogun have failed. Maybe he has accepted in his mind that he will be taken down, and will not worry about it at all, and work for the sweep from the bottom. Not worrying about the takedown would also make him less tentative on the feet.
Good point. I didn't think about that. However, I don't think Shogun will be able to take Jones down. Bones is just too superior a wrestler - but that won't stop Shogun from focusing on his guard game and leg techniques. Leglocks are always a wreslter's "Achilles Heel" if you'll pardon the pun. I figured Shogun's strategy would be similar to his first fight with Machida - kick the legs and body and take away Jones' speed and stamina, then KO him as soon as it's there.
Been giving the same thoughts since the fight was made. Shoguns striking is out of this world. On the flip side Jones can only really win this via his wrestling. His wrestling will allow him to control the fight, make the stand up messy with a clinch and/or keep it on the ground and enforce his vicious GnP. It might come down to whose second strongest martial art is better i.e. Jones striking or Shoguns jits. I think Shoguns jits is seriously underrated. We don't see much of it because he doesn't look for transitions and subs, he looks to put people OUT. His jits compliments his Muay Thai. When you see him get up from the bottom or try to throw people, it is all from his jits. Shogun could switch it up and go for the takedown like BJ but I don't know if Shogun is the sort to pull away from gameplans which are based around his love for striking. Jones wrestling is a neutraliser but Shogun has been disrespected as the underdog. He is a natural born killer. Everything he does is to cause damage and end the fight. However, this often sees him in the pocket and taken down. Against Machida, Randleman etc that wasn't the end of the world as his jits and striking saved him. I don't know if he can risky any takedowns against Jones. I'm pulling for Shogun but recognise the very serious threat that is Jon Jones. Shogun via stoppage! PS - If Jones couldn't wrestle like he could then it would be a blow out but his wrestling is really what scares me. I'm almost pulling for Shogun to stop Jones wrestling but I don't know how. I'm hoping that Shogun is more ready for a wrestler than ever simply because he was preparing for a lay n pray specialist in Evans and he must have that known that Evans was going to take him down even more urgently than I think Jones will.
I agree. I personally think that SHogun might have the best striking ever. I'm just making the point because alot of us think that its almost a striker versus wrestler. It could be the case but don't be suprised if Jones has worked on his striking a **** load and if Shogun has done the same with his wrestling and jits.
